In Mexico, the dish known as cochinita pibil is made by rubbing a whole suckling pig with warm spices and juice from bitter oranges, then wrapping it in banana leaves and slowly pit-roasting it until it is succulent and richly flavored.

To achieve a similar dish at home, we turned to well-marbled pork butt roast (often labeled Boston butt) and traded the banana leaves and pit of coals for a Dutch oven, which, when placed in a moderate oven, allowed the pork to braise gently to tenderness.

To give the pork its distinctive flavor, usually achieved with bitter oranges and annatto, we used frozen orange juice concentrate, tomato paste for color and depth, and bay leaves for herbal flavor.

A quick habanero sauce, made with a traditional cooked-carrot base, and pickled red onions balanced out the rich meat. If you want a spicier sauce, add the remaining habanero; if you are spice-averse, substitute a less-spicy jalapeno for the habanero.

CITRUS-BRAISED PORK TACOS

From “Cook It In Your Dutch Oven” by America’s Test Kitchen

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (2-1/2-to-3 pound) boneless pork butt roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 18 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed
• Lime wedges, for serving

>> Pickled red onions:

• 1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

>> Habanero sauce:

• 1 cup water
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 vine-ripened tomato, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 habanero chili, stemmed
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lime juice
• Pepper, to taste

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice and cinnamon; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons vinegar, Worcestershire, bay leaves, salt and pepper, scraping up any browned bits.

Add pork and bring to boil. Transfer pot to oven and cook, uncovered, until pork is tender, about 2 hours, stirring once halfway through.

>> To make pickled onions: Place onion in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Pour over onions; cover loosely. Let cool, about 30 minutes.

>> To make habanero sauce: Combine water, carrot, tomato, onion, habanero, garlic and salt in now-empty saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until carrot is tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes.

Transfer mixture to blender, add vinegar and lime juice; process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Remove pot from oven; discard bay leaves. Using potato masher, mash pork until finely shredded. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat; cook until most of liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.

Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve on tortillas with pickled red onions, habanero sauce and lime wedges. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 524 calories, 17 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 102 mg cholesterol, 473 mg sodium, 56 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 21 g sugar, 36 g protein.